The Relationship between Internalization of Ideal Beauty and Self-Objectification among Female College Students

Ruirui Li

doi:10.62177/jaet.v3i3.1528

Authors

Ruirui Li Northwest Normal University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62177/jaet.v3i3.1528

Keywords:

Internalization of Ideal Beauty, Self-Objectification, Body Image, Appearance Standards

Abstract

Objective: This study explored the relationship between internalization of ideal beauty and self-objectification among female college students, and examined whether female college students' acceptance of sociocultural appearance ideals was associated with body surveillance and self-objectification tendencies. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 412 female college students. The internalization-related dimensions of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 and the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale were used for measurement. Reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and regression analysis were used to process the data. Results: Internalization of ideal beauty was significantly and positively correlated with self-objectification (r = 0.586, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that internalization of ideal beauty significantly and positively predicted self-objectification among female college students (β = 0.586, t = 15.029, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The more strongly female college students internalize ideal beauty standards, the more likely they are to attend to and evaluate their bodies from an external observer's perspective and to show higher levels of self-objectification. College mental health education should pay attention to young women's acceptance and internalization of narrow beauty standards and guide them to develop healthier, more diverse, and more agentic body cognition.

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